Potato Harvester

ABSTRACT

A potato harvester has a lifting device for lifting soil ridges, wherein the lifting device has a digging device with digging shares. At least one support element for supporting the lifting device on the ground is provided. The at least one support element has at least two wheels that are movable along opposite sides of an intermediately positioned soil ridge, respectively. The wheels form a guide unit that supports at least one part of a weight of the at least one digging device, wherein the guide unit controls the digging shares and acts on a soil ridge to be lifted as an intake aid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a potato harvester with a lifting device havingat least one digging device for lifting soil ridges containing potatoes,wherein the lifting device comprises one or several digging shares andis supported on the ground by at least one support element.

Potato harvesting machines of known configurations are usually providedwith at least one lifting device for lifting the soil ridge withpotatoes wherein the lifting device secured on the machine frame issupportable by at least one support element on the ground. According toDE 25 10 455 the machine frame is supported on wheels, and according toDE 32 00 924 A1 a drum that can be placed onto the soil ridge isprovided in the area of the lifting device. The potato harvestingmachines according to German utility model G 87 00 095.4 and DE 199 47484 A1 have in the area of the digging share a ground-facing ridgeroller or drum. In a single-row harvesting machine according to JP 07107 828 A, the lifting device that is pivotably supported on the machineframe is provided with guide elements in the form of ridge drumsattached with two guide rods, respectively, wherein their contactpressure on the ground can be increased by auxiliary weights providedabove the ridge drums.

In a machine according to DE 32 07 288 C2, in a single-row potato diggera depth sensing wheel is provided in the area of the leading edge of thelifting share. It provides depth control and, at the same time, is usedfor cutting off haulm. Generally, it is proposed also in the relevantliterature to provide, in addition to sensing by means of ridge drums orsimilar components, a support wheel that is entrained without supportload in the furrow for depth control of the digging share.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has the object to provide a potato harvester whose liftingdevice is provided with a support that is optimal with regard toadjusting and digging processes of the share and, in this connection,enables with minimal technical expenditure an improvement of the diggingperformance.

The invention solves this object by means of a potato harvester having asupport element that is comprised of at least two wheels that aremovable along opposite sides of an intermediately positioned soil ridge.

In the area of the lifting device provided with at least one diggingdevice, the potato harvester is provided with a support element that,according to the invention, is formed of at least two wheels that aremovable along opposite sides of the intermediately positioned soil ridgeand cooperate with one another as a functional unit.

In contrast to generally known ridge drums, sensing wheels or similarsupport elements provided for depth guiding of lifting devices, theguide unit according to the present invention provided with the twowheels is designed such that in the two furrows adjacent to the at leastone soil ridge a support action is provided that takes up the weightforce of the lifting device. With minimal expenditure, the wheels arealso utilizable for depth adjustment or depth control of the diggingshare. The wheels that have a transverse spacing adjustable relative tothe width of the soil ridge delimit in the digging phase the soil ridgeso that for the conveying process a forced guiding action in the mannerof an intake channel is provided. The laterally guided dug-up materialis introduced in a stabilized mixed stream into the downstreamseparating stretch so that in this way the feed action of the liftedsoil ridge with potatoes into the downstream devices of the machine isimproved as a whole. In this connection, these wheels are combinedsupport, guiding and control elements so that the lifting device isprovided as a functionally improved module. In addition, the outer onesof the wheels can be provided with cutting elements so that haulm orother plant parts projecting into the lifting area can be cut off.

With a substantially variable design of the connecting component modulebetween the wheels and a support frame of the lifting device, differentdrive and support configurations as well as corresponding heightadjusting and transverse adjusting possibilities of the wheels areconceivable so that the construction as a whole provides a system thatis variably adaptable to the digging conditions on site, respectively.

Preferably, the two wheels form a guide unit that supports at least onepart of the weight of the digging device, that is provided forcontrolling the digging share, and that acts on the soil ridge to belifted as an intake aid.

For a multi-row, preferably four-row, lifting device the number ofwheels is greater by one than the number of the soil ridges to belifted.

The wheels have a diameter selectable in accordance with the diggingconditions. Preferably, the wheels have a diameter that is greaterrelative to the height of the soil ridge by a multiple, in particular is2.5 times greater. For a multi-row lifting device the wheels have thesame diameter, respectively.

Between the wheels forming a row transverse to the travel direction avariable support spacing is provided, in particular the support spacingis adjustable to the spacing of the soil ridges. The wheels can bearranged at different support spacing.

The wheels can be designed to be driven or powered.

The wheels are height-adjustable.

The wheels are adjustable transversely to the travel direction.

The wheels are supportable by transverse adjustment in a furrow providedbetween the soil ridges.

In the area of the wheels a measuring device is provided with which thelifting depth of the lifting device or of the digging share arecontrollable.

The lifting device or the digging device in the area of the wheels isprovided with at least one sensing unit placeable onto one of the soilridges.

The lifting device is provided with a linkage module connecting thelifting device to a machine frame, on the one hand, and supporting thewheels in the area of the digging share, on the other hand.

The wheels in the travel direction are supported so as to be rotatableon a transverse axle of the linkage module.

The linkage module that is essentially symmetrically configured relativeto the longitudinal center plane of the machine is configured as a framehaving two lateral guides and a leading crossbeam such that the liftingdevice is connected to the machine frame so as to be pivotable as awhole by means of lifting cylinders engaging the guides, respectively,and support bearings provided at a spacing to the lifting cylinders.

The transverse axle centrally supporting the wheels is supported on thelinkage module by at least one pivot lever extending radially from theaxle such that the transverse axle and the wheels are movable by atleast one lifting member.

The transverse axle is connected at the ends in the area of a hinge,respectively, to the linkage module and the lifting members, provided asconnectors and embodied in the form of two parallel lifting cylinders,cooperate with the respective pivot levers.

The wheels interact with a measuring device provided for automaticguiding of the lifting device along the soil ridges.

The measuring device has sensors located on the supporting parts of thewheels, respectively.

The measuring device has sensors for detecting lateral forces acting onat least one of the two pivot levers.

At least the outer ones of the wheels interact with a cutting member. Asa cutting member a cutting element located on the wheels is provided. Asa cutting element an annular disk can be provided that has a cuttingedge. The annular disk is connected directly at the end face orcentrally on the wheel.

The outer wheel and/or the cutting member are/is adjustable in thedirection of the transverse axle and/or of the cutting depth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details and advantageous configurations of the potato harvesteraccording to the invention result from the following description and thedrawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective basic illustration of the potato harvester inthe area of the lifting device with wheels according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the potato harvester similar to FIG. 1 showinga lifting phase of one of the soil ridges.

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the lifting device similar toFIG. 1 with additional modules in the area of the wheels.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the lifting device according to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the lifting device according to FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a front view similar to FIG. 4 with modified lateral wheels onthe lifting device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of the lifting device according toFIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, a potato harvester referred to as a whole by 1 is illustratedwhose configuration is shown only schematically. In the leading area themachine 1 is provided with a lifting device 3 having at least onedigging device 2 for lifting soil ridges 4 with potatoes. In knownpotato harvesting machines 1 of this kind, the lifting device 3 havingone or several lifting shares 5 is supported by at least one supportelement (not illustrated) embodied as a support drum or the like on theground, in particular in the area of the soil ridge 4.

In accordance with the invention, the potato harvester 1 is providedwith a lifting device 3 that comprises at least two wheels 8, 8′ thatare movable along opposite sides 6, 7 of the intermediately positionedsoil ridge 4; the wheels act in the way of multi-functional supportelements.

In the configuration of the potato harvester 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1through 5, the lifting device 3 is a multi-row component module. In thismulti-row, preferably four-row, lifting device 3 the number of wheels 8cooperating in pairs with one another is greater by one than the numberof soil ridges 4 to be lifted so that in this configuration for diggingfour soil ridges 4 with potatoes a lifting device 3 results with fivewheels 8 arranged sequentially in a direction transverse to the traveldirection F (FIG. 1, FIG. 3).

The two wheels 8, 8′ that cooperate with one another, respectively, thusform a guide unit E. The guide unit E supports at least one portion ofthe weight force A of the digging device 2 and is provided forcontrolling the digging shares 5. Moreover, the guide unit E acts on thesoil ridge 4 to be lifted as an intake aid. In the illustratedembodiment comprising five wheels 8, the weight force A is distributedaccordingly across several rows so that the surface pressure of eachwheel 8 on the ground is reduced by the correlated distribution.

FIG. 1 shows that the wheels 8 in comparison to known sensing rollers orsimilar support elements have a greater diameter D that can be matchedin accordance with the corresponding digging conditions (working heightW . FIG. 1), in particular, relative to the height K of the soil ridges4. In comparison to the height K of the soil ridge 4, the two wheels 8,8′ of guide unit E have a diameter that is several times greater, inparticular 2.5 times greater. In this connection, the wheels 8 of themulti-row lifting device 3 are provided in the transverse direction withthe same diameter, respectively. The views according to FIGS. 4 and 5show that the wheels 8 can be provided with different widths Z, Z′.

The construction of the guide unit E provides that between the wheels 8(support axis Q) arranged in a row transversely to the travel directionF a variable support spacing B is provided that is, in particular,adjustable relative to the spacing of the soil ridges 4 (FIG. 1). Thewheels 8 in accordance with the material to be harvested or the contourof the soil ridge can be arranged at different support spacings (notillustrated). It is also conceivable to provide adjusting elements, notillustrated, for adjusting the wheels 8 transverse to the traveldirection F so that the wheels 8 by manual or automatic transverseadjustment are supported optimally in the furrow 9 between the ridges 4.In any case, on the soil ridge 4 a lateral guiding action is provided atsides 6, 7 and the mixture G can be guided between the two wheels 8, 8′optimally on a separating stretch into the machine 1 (FIG. 2).

The lifting device 3 has in the travel direction F of the machine 1rotatable wheels 8 (arrow C) wherein the potato harvester 1 as a wholeis moved by means of drive wheels (not illustrated) in the traveldirection F. It is also conceivable to provide the wheels 8 with aseparate drive unit, not illustrated, so that the actions of the wheels8, 8′ as intake aids (in this connection: lateral pressing of the soilridge 4 according to arrow S, S′ and intake action according to arrow P)can be actively assisted.

The digging share 5 located in the vicinity of the wheels 8 can beadjusted optimally by the guide unit E or a height-adjustable support ofthe wheels 8 to the height K of the soil ridge 4 and thus to themulti-row digging process (FIG. 2).

FIGS. 3 through 5 show the constructive details of the lifting device 3provided for this purpose wherein the lifting device is provided with alinkage module 11 connectable to the machine frame 10, on the one hand,and supporting the wheels 8 in the area of the digging shares 5, on theother hand. The wheels 8 are supported to be rotatable in the traveldirection F on a transverse axle 12 of the linkage module 11. FIG. 3shows that the linkage module 11 that is essentially symmetrical to thelongitudinal center plane M of the machine 1 is configured as a guidingand linking frame comprised of two guides 13, 14 and a front crossbeam15.

In this way, the lifting device 3 can be actuated by means of driveelements embodied particularly as lifting cylinders 16, 17 and acting onthe guides 13, 14. For a lifting movement according to arrow H (FIG. 2)the lifting device 3 is connected in the area of the guides 13, 14 witha support bearing 18, 19, respectively, to the machine frame 10 suchthat the lifting movement effects a pivot movement according to arrow R(FIG. 2). In this way, the lifting device 3 as a whole can be lifted,for example, at the edge of a field or during transport.

The side view according to FIG. 2 and the front view according to FIG. 5illustrate the attachment of the transverse axle 12 supporting centrallythe wheels 8 on the linkage module 11. The transverse axle 12 isconnected by at least one pivot lever 20 radially extending therefrom tothe front area of the linkage module 11 by means of a support bearing25. By means of this pivot lever 20, the transverse axle 12 can be movedtogether with the wheels 8 by means of at least one additional liftingmember in the form of lifting cylinder 21 (arrow N). The movement of thelifting cylinder 21 is introduced on the short arm 26 of the pivot lever20, deflected by its support bearing 27, and transmitted onto thesupport bearing 25 (FIG. 2) so that in particular a positional change ofthe module E relative to the linkage module 11 takes place (arrow N;FIG. 2).

When looking at FIGS. 3 to 5, it is apparent that for a symmetricconfiguration of the device 3 the transverse axle 12 is connected at theends in the area of the support bearing 27, 27′ to the linkage module 11and the lifting members in the form of two parallel lifting cylinders21, 20 provided as connectors cooperate with the correlated pivot lever20, 20′, respectively, in such a way that the pivoting and adjustingmovement according to arrow N is possible. The pivot movement accordingto arrow N that is effected by a control unit of the machine 1 isutilized in the simplest embodiment as a depth control. During thedigging process substantially any position of the lifting cylinder 21,21′ is conceivable. The displacement of the wheels 8 defines in thisconnection the vertical spacing relative to the digging shares 5 whichspacing is effective as the digging depth.

The plan view according to FIG. 4 shows an additional sensing unit 23that is provided as a module to be placed onto the soil ridges 4 forcontrolling the lifting device 3 or the digging devices 2 in the area ofthe wheels 8. It is also conceivable that in the area of the wheels 8 ameasuring device 22 is provided with which the lifting depth of thelifting device 3 can be controlled and regulated.

The potato harvester 1 is configured for use in sloped terrain in such away that the lifting device 3 is pivotable substantially independent ofthe driver's cabin, the collecting container or similar modules (notillustrated) in the direction according to arrow W′ (FIG. 3) about thecentral longitudinal plane M. The control of the travel direction F inaccordance with the extension of the soil ridges 4 can be done manuallyby the driver of the machine. By means of the measuring device 22, acontrol or regulation of this process is possible also so that thelateral control of the machine 1 by means of a corresponding measuringsignal of the device 22 can be optimized. For this substantiallyautomatic centering on the soil ridge the wheels 8 according to theinvention can be used also. In this connection, as a guiding parameterthe forces can be utilized that are acting in the direction S, S′(FIG. 1) wherein, by means of appropriate sensors (not illustrated) inthe area of the lateral pivot lever 20, 20′, lateral loads are detected,respectively, and the lifting device 3 is guided optimally in accordancewith the extension of the soil ridges 4 by minimizing the loads.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the lifting device 3 whereinthe lifting device is provided with a cutting member referenced ingeneral at 28 in the area of the two outer wheels 8″ (FIG. 5: a coulterdisk 28′ as a cutting member).

In an advantageous embodiment, as a cutting member 28 a cutting element29 (FIG. 6) is provided that can be connected directly to the wheels 8″and whose cutting action is thus effected directly by the pressure orweight force according to arrow A (FIG. 2). By means of the cuttingelement 29 a separation of plant parts such as haulm or the likeprojecting into the bordering furrow can be cut off. In the perspectiveillustration according to FIG. 7 it becomes apparent that as a cuttingelement 29 an annular disk comprised of several parts and provided witha cutting edge 30 is provided. This annular disk 31 is connecteddirectly to the end face of the respective wheel 8″ wherein it is alsoconceivable to arrange an annular disk centrally on the wheel 8″ (notillustrated).

In another embodiment of these wheels 8″ with cutting member 28 it isconceivable that the wheels 8″ directly and/or the correlated cuttingmember 28 are transversely adjustable (not illustrated) in the directionof the support beam 15 or the transverse axle 12 by a correspondingholder so that in accordance with the harvesting conditions an optimaladjustment of the lifting device 3 is possible.

The specification incorporates by reference the entire disclosure ofGermany priority document 10 2006 033 974.8 having a filing date of Jul.22, 2006.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will beunderstood that the invention may be embodied otherwise withoutdeparting from such principles.

1. A potato harvester comprising: a lifting device for lifting soilridges, wherein the lifting device comprises art least one diggingdevice with digging shares; at least one support element for supportingthe lifting device on the ground; wherein the at least one supportelement is comprised of at least two wheels that are movable alongopposite sides of an intermediately positioned soil ridge, respectively.2. The potato harvester according to claim 1, wherein the wheels form aguide unit that supports at least one part of a weight of the at leastone digging device, wherein the guide unit controls the digging sharesand acts on a soil ridge to be lifted as an intake aid.
 3. The potatoharvester according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device is amulti-row device, wherein a number of the wheels is greater by one thana number of soil ridges to be lifted by the multi-row device.
 4. Thepotato harvester according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the wheelsis selected in accordance with digging conditions.
 5. The potatoharvester according to claim 1, wherein the wheels have a diameter thatis greater than a height of the intermediately positioned soil ridge bya multiple.
 6. The potato harvester according to claim 1, wherein thelifting device is a multi-row device and wherein a diameter of thewheels is identical.
 7. The potato harvester according to claim 1,wherein the wheels are arranged in a row transverse to a traveldirection of the potato harvester, wherein the wheels have a variablesupport spacing relative to one another and wherein the support spacingis adjustable to a spacing of the soil ridges.
 8. The potato harvesteraccording to claim 7, wherein the wheels are arranged at differentsupport spacings.
 9. The potato harvester according to claim 1, whereinthe wheels are powered.
 10. The potato harvester according to claim 1,wherein the wheels are height-adjustable relative to the intermediatelypositioned soil ridge, respectively.
 11. The potato harvester accordingto claim 1, wherein the wheels are adjustable in a direction transverseto a travel direction of the potato harvester.
 12. The potato harvesteraccording to claim 11, wherein the wheels are supported in furrowsprovided between adjacent soil ridges by being adjusted in the directiontransverse to the travel direction.
 13. The potato harvester accordingto claim 1, further comprising a measuring device in the area of thewheels for controlling a lifting depth of the lifting device or of thedigging shares.
 14. The potato harvester according to claim 1, furthercomprising at least one sensing unit for contacting at least one of thesoil ridges, wherein the at least one sensing unit is arranged in thearea of the wheels.
 15. The potato harvester according to claim 1,wherein the lifting device has a linkage module, wherein the linkagemodule connects the lifting device to a machine frame and supports thewheels in the area of the digging shares.
 16. The potato harvesteraccording to claim 16, wherein the linkage module comprises a transverseaxle, wherein the wheels in a travel direction of the potato harvesterare rotatably supported on the transverse axle.
 17. The potato harvesteraccording to claim 15, wherein the linkage module is essentiallysymmetrically configured relative to a longitudinal center plane of thepotato harvester, wherein the linkage module comprises a frame havingtwo lateral guides and a leading crossbeam, wherein the lifting devicecomprises lifting cylinders engaging the guides, respectively, andsupport bearings provided at a spacing to the lifting cylinders, whereinthe lifting device is connected to the machine frame so as to bepivotable by the lifting cylinders and the support bearings.
 18. Thepotato harvester according to claim 16, further comprising at least onepivot lever connected to the transverse axle and extending radially fromthe transverse axle, wherein the transverse axle is supported on thelinkage module by the at least one pivot lever such that the transverseaxle centrally supporting the wheels is movable by at least one liftingmember.
 19. The potato harvester according to claim 18, wherein two ofthe at least one pivot lever are provided and wherein the transverseaxle has ends connected to a bearing of said two pivot levers,respectively, wherein two of the at least one lifting member areprovided, wherein said two lifting members are two parallel liftingcylinders connected to said two pivot levers.
 20. The potato harvesteraccording to claim 19, further comprising a measuring device forautomatically guiding the lifting device along the soil ridges.
 21. Thepotato harvester according to claim 20, wherein the measuring device hassensors for detecting lateral forces acting on at least one of said twopivot levers.
 22. The potato harvester according to claim 1, wherein atleast outer ones of the wheels interact with a cutting member.
 23. Thepotato harvester according to claim 22, wherein the cutting member is acutting element located on the wheels.
 24. The potato harvesteraccording to claim 22, wherein the cutting element is an annular diskhaving a cutting edge.
 25. The potato harvester according to 24, whereinthe annular disk is connected directly to an end face of the wheels orcentrally on the wheels.
 26. The potato harvester according to claim 22,wherein the cutting member is adjustable in at least one directionselected from a direction transverse to the travel direction and adirection of a cutting depth.
 27. The potato harvester according toclaim 1, further comprising a measuring device for automatically guidingthe lifting device along the soil ridges, wherein the wheels interactwith the measuring device.
 28. The potato harvester according to claim27, wherein the measuring device has sensors located on supporting partsof the wheels, respectively.